ABSTRACT
Of all the British Idealists, Francis Herbert Bradley can properly be said to have had the single most sustained influence upon Oakeshott’s thought. It is not too bold a statement to suggest that to understand Oakeshott thoroughly we must also get to grips with the philosophy of his mentor. In his first articles on religion (RPM p. 41) as well as in EM (EM p. 6) Oakeshott acknowledges his debt to Bradley. Even in OHC, during the discussion of moral conduct, Bradley’s arguments in Ethical Studies1 lie in the not too distant background.
